1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a novel device for the installation of carpets, large rugs, fabrics and the like, and more particularly to a manually operated apparatus for stretching a carpet to the desired degree of tautness during its installation, so that a desirably flat, smooth surface is obtained.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Before the present wide-spread use of mechanically operated carpet stretchers, the carpet installer had a very difficult task during carpet installation, in order to insure that the carpet lay in a flat enough manner as to be attractive, and so as not to cause a passerby to trip and fall.
Various hooked devices that were previously utilized for carpet installation had the unfortunate characteristic of slippage on the one hand, and of piercing the carpet if too much force was applied. Additionally, the use of such devices required considerable physical strength, thereby causing the installer to quickly become exhausted.
After the introduction of the mechanical carpet stretcher, such devices quickly became exceedingly popular in that the arms of the installer were by and large free from strenuous efforts, and chance of damaging the carpet was minimal. These devices involved an elongate housing with carpet-engaging teeth at one end, and a knee pad at the other end, with the arrangement being such that the device was laid upon the carpet at or near the location at which the tightening operation was to take place. The installer then got on his hands and knees, and proceeded to swing one knee forward into striking contact with the padded end of the carpet stretching device, thus driving the elongate housing forward. Because the forward end of the device used teeth positioned to effectively grip the carpet, each time the installer "kneed" the device forward, such accomplished a desirable additional amount of stretching of the carpet. By appropriately positioning the stretcher at successively different locations on the carpet, a properly skilled installer was able to rather quickly achieve a desired degree of tautness of the carpet, so that by the time the carpet was tacked, glued or stapled in the desired position, a very attractive installation was brought about.
Unfortunately, certain disadvantages have accompanied the use of these mechanically-operated carpet stretching devices, particularly the fact that after years, or sometimes after only months of operating such a device, an installer often begins to have various knee complaints, such as stiffness, enlargement, or even constant pain. It is to obviate such unfortunate effects as these that the present invention was evolved.
I recognize that my device is not the first one to propose the use of a mechanically operated carpet stretching device in which considerable knee effort is obviated, but it nevertheless is sincerely believed to be the first practical and truly successful device in which effort applied to a spring-compressing handle by an installer is in a proper and effective direction insofar as the tightening direction of the carpet is concerned.